Melbourne couple Tiffany and Giancarlo have stormed to the top of the MKR leaderboard after serving treasured Italian family recipes and earning the competition’s first perfect 10.
The couple opened their Instant Restaurant, Ciao Bella Ciao, with a menu celebrating their Italian heritage, serving Parmigiana di Melanzane for entrée, Agnolotti di Coniglio — rabbit-filled pasta — for main, and Sfincia di San Giuseppe al Limone for dessert.
By the end of the night, Tiffany and Giancarlo had amassed 86 points, enough to take outright first place despite a dessert that failed to match the standard of their opening two courses.
But before the cooking could take centre stage, unfinished business from the previous Instant Restaurant returned to the table.
Alisha and Deanne wanted answers over the continuing “Plate Gate” debate after Jane admitted the physical plates used by the pair had influenced her scoring.
Alisha was unimpressed.
“You’re not eating the plate, are you?
The plate has no flavour to add to the dish.”
Shane maintained their score had been based on the food, while Jane stood by her assessment.
“I’m not apologising for anything.
It was a really fair score that Alisha and Deanne received.
The food spoke for itself.”
The tension continued when talk turned to what winning the $100,000 prize would mean.
Lucy said the money would be life-changing for her as a micro-baker, while Jane and Shane said they were at a different stage of life.
Jane added:
“If we are at our stage of life and $100,000 was life-changing, I think we’ve done it wrong.”
Once the food arrived, however, Tiffany and Giancarlo quickly gave the table something else to talk about.
Their Parmigiana di Melanzane proved an immediate hit.
Judge Manu Feildel praised the perfectly cooked eggplant and depth of flavour, while Colin Fassnidge was impressed by the caramelised cheese and zingy tomato.
Manu scored the entrée 9/10.
Then came the breakthrough moment of the competition, with Colin awarding 10/10 — the first perfect score handed out on MKR this season.
The strong run continued with the couple’s Rabbit Agnolotti.
Colin described the dish as “a plate of love”, while Manu praised the buttery, cheesy filling and the quality of the pasta.
Both judges awarded the main course 9/10.
But the meal almost came unstuck when Deanne made an unexpected discovery inside her pasta.
She pulled a large rabbit bone from the dish, prompting Angus to raise concerns about the potential choking hazard.
Deanne was stunned.
“That’s a whole leg there.
That’s a big bone for a little rabbit.”
She said finding the bone had completely turned her off the dish and would affect the score she gave the couple.
Despite the surprise, the other guests and judges continued to praise the rabbit, sauce and pasta.
After two impressive courses, Tiffany and Giancarlo appeared to be heading towards a huge score.
Dessert proved to be their stumbling block.
Their Sfincia di San Giuseppe al Limone failed to match what had come before, with the Sicilian doughnuts judged to be heavy, doughy and too dark.
The accompanying lemon custard also lacked the citrus punch promised by the dish.
Both Manu and Colin scored dessert 5/10, bringing an abrupt end to the couple’s near-perfect run.
Even so, their earlier dishes had done enough damage to the leaderboard.
The guest teams combined to give Tiffany and Giancarlo 39/50, while the judges awarded 47/60.
That produced an overall score of 86 points, sending the Melbourne couple straight to the top.
An emotional Tiffany said the reaction to their food made the night worthwhile.
“It’s just the best feeling knowing that you put your heart and soul into it and then it makes other people feel that.”
Judges’ Scores
| Judge | Entrée | Main | Dessert | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manu Feildel | 9/10 | 9/10 | 5/10 | 23/30 |
| Colin Fassnidge | 10/10 | 9/10 | 5/10 | 24/30 |
| Total | 47/60 |
MKR Team Scores
| Team | Score |
|---|---|
| Krysten and Lucy | 9/10 |
| Mary and Golden | 8/10 |
| Angus and Simon | 8/10 |
| Jane and Shane | 8/10 |
| Alisha and Deanne | 6/10 |
| Total | 39/50 |
Next on MKR, nurses Mary and Golden take over the kitchen for an emotional Instant Restaurant celebrating Filipino food and cooking for those who miss home.
